Text: Matthew 6:5-6, 9-13
By Pastor Steve Thomas
Bulletin Insert: 1/24/10
Title: Lesson 5 – The Geography of Prayer
Text: Matthew 6:5-6, 9-10
To what place should our attention be focused in prayer?
I. We must focus _______________________________________________ (v.5-6)
II. We must focus ______________________________________________ (v.9-10)
If you were to begin praying more “geographically”, what would it look like this week?
Going Deeper
This section is provided for those who may wish to spend time this week going deeper with the material from the sermon, or for study in small groups. This is an optional opportunity to take the message and internalize and deepen your understanding. Small groups are welcome to do pieces of this as time allows
This week I want you to read a beautiful prayer from the Old Testament. The prayer is long so be sure to give yourself time to meditate upon what it says. The prayer is from King Solomon given at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem and is found in 1 Kings 8.
- Read 1 Kings 8 a few times until you are more familiar with the text. If it would help, read 1 Chronicles 28 to get historical perspective.
- Start out by underlining, or jotting down, the references to geography… to places and locations.
- What does the prayer say about God’s dwelling? Where does God dwell and where does He make Himself manifest?
- What is the reoccurring request in the prayer? What would this prayer look like for us to pray today… what did Solomon see that we must look for in our world when we pray?
- What is God’s heart like? What is Solomon’s like? What is the goal(s) of the prayer?
- How has Jesus, coming as Christ and Lord, changed the geography of this prayer for Christians? How does Jesus change this prayer? Consider these passages… Matthew 6:9-13, John 16:23-28, Heb. 9:18-28, 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 2 Cor. 6:14-18. This is a challenging question so do your best and think it through.
Prayer Exercise: Imagine your home as a “temple” – a place that stands out because of God’s presence. This is just a mental exercise… don’t start building pillars and burning incenseJ. If you were to look out at your street and see the houses, apartments, stores, etc. and then pray for God to be made real… what specifically would you pray? What would you need to know to pray more specifically like Solomon? How could you see, or hear, or discover more to pray for? Remember, while Solomon’s prayer is beautiful, our ultimate desire is for people to turn to God through faith in Jesus as the promised savior and so while we pray for many things we must always pray to this end.
